The Oddfellows Pigeon Club

The Oddfellows Pigeon Club began back in the sixties. Members would meet in the bar at the Oddfellows Arms in Maindee, Newport and show their pigeons in a large corrugated bow topped building in the beer garden. At one point the club comprised of over nighty members. In 2016 the number of participants had dramatically reduced with an average of only ten to fifteen members attending meetings in the pub, which eventually lead to a decision by a new landlord to use the building for other purposes. The fact that most weeks there were only a handful of members attending the meetings ultimately meant that very little money was spent in the pub. It was no longer economically viable to support the club. Sadly by 2017, the club had to cease its existence.

Keeping racing pigeons became a popular pastime predominately with working-class men, reaching it heyday in the late seventies to early eighties. In parallel to the decline of industry the sport of racing pigeons also decreased dramatically.

In the past, there were over twenty pigeon fanciers clubs in Newport now there are only a handful of clubs that have survived. With very few young people taking an interest the future of racing pigeons could well become of thing of the past.

Post pandemic and a new landlady Jo Harridence who has been a regular for over thirty years has now reinstated the pigeon club. It looks like the pastime will survive for some time yet.

About Artist

Dilip Sinha

Born in Chesterfield 1963 of Indian parentage. His farther worked as a Mining Engineer in collieries at Sheffield and Stoke on Trent. Growing up in the close communities of coal mining estates through the seventies and eighties, with nostalgia for the past and curiosity of change drives Dilip’s penchant to explore communities, meet people and make pictures.

An interest in faith was also kindled in childhood with regular early morning walks for Sunday service at an old church along with the awe of the architecture and choral music. At the age of sixteen his first visit to India and being exposed to Hinduism his parents religion cemented this interest, which has been the focus of past and on-going projects in Wales and India.

Having graduating from Newport Documentary Photography in 2016 Dilip has had work shown in several group exhibitions and one solo exhibition in South Wales.